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Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Baked Jalapeno Poppers are a healthy version of the bar food favorite that are baked in the oven until golden and crispy on the outside and melty and cheesy on the inside.

Before I met my husband, I wouldn't have touched a jalapeno with a 10-foot pole. Too spicy for my delicate taste buds.

But when I married a man who eats pickled jalapenos straight from the jar, I decided I had to find out for myself what all the hype was about.
After opening myself up to sampling a variety of jalapenos prepared several different ways, I discovered that hot pepper didn't always have to equal 'burn your mouth off' heat.

The trick to these little babies is to remove all of the white membrane and the seeds within the pepper before you cook them. THAT is where the spicy lives. Once you carefully remove the insides you're left with a pepper that's full of flavor without the burn. Keep track of those little seeds as you remove them! You wouldn't want a little one to find one that got away from you as it would likely lead to burning their little lips or eyes. I've found using a small ½ tsp measuring spoon is the perfect little tool to scrape out the peppers.

The best part about this particular recipe is that they are baked to a nice crispy crunch without all the grease from the traditional method of frying them. And the creamy cheesy inside brings this classic bar food to a whole new level of decadence. That's why, when I saw a package of jalapenos on sale at my local market, I knew exactly what I'd be munching on later that night.

INSTRUCTIONS1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.2. With gloves on, cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and white membrane. (Read my tips above!)3. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and green onions, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Put the breadcrumbs in another bowl.4. Fill the peppers with the cheese mixture and dip the peppers in the egg. Coat the peppers with the breadcrumb mixture and place on a greased cookie sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray.

5. Bake for 25 minutes. You'll know they're done when they are golden brown and the cheese starts oozing out a little.

NOTES

• I've come to realize that the peppers I used were HUGE. So, you'll most likely need 12 to use up all of the filling.
• I recently made these again and omitted the green onions and substituted mozzarella for the cheddar. They were just as good!
• Source: Inspired by Skinny Baked Jalapeno Poppers over at www.skinnytaste.com

Nutrition data should not be considered a guarantee. Please see our full Nutrition Data Disclosure here.